Former US Vice President Kamala Harris has said President Donald Trump was “pulled” into the war with Iran by Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, adding that “the American people do not want” the conflict.
Speaking at a fundraising event on Saturday, Harris told the audience: “He entered a war, got pulled into it by Bibi Netanyahu, let us be clear about that — entered a war that the American people do not want, putting at risk American service members.”
The remarks are among the sharpest opposition statements since US airstrikes on Iran began on February 28, and attribute responsibility for the conflict to Israeli pressure rather than Iranian aggression.
Trump response
Trump did not address Harris directly but praised Israel in a social media post. “Whether people like Israel or not, they have proven to be a GREAT Ally of the United States of America,” he wrote. “They are Courageous, Bold, Loyal, and Smart and, unlike others that have shown their true colors in a moment of conflict and stress, Israel fights hard, and knows how to WIN!”
Political context
Harris’s comments come as US-Iran talks remain deadlocked, with Iran declaring the Strait of Hormuz will remain closed until Washington lifts its naval blockade on Iranian ports. A conditional two-week ceasefire brokered by Pakistan on April 8 has held in its broad outline, but an Islamabad negotiating round collapsed after 21 hours on April 11 and Trump ordered the blockade a day later.
Domestic opposition to the war has grown amid rising US gasoline prices and mounting military commitments in the Gulf. In early April, 47 senators voted for a war powers resolution seeking to restrict further US military action against Iran without congressional authorisation; the measure failed narrowly.
Source: Ada Derana, citing the BBC.
